Breakfast
by giacinta
Summary: Set not long after Sam gets his soul back in season six. One-shot. Dean goes out to get breakfast for Sam and does some thinking along the way.


Breakfast.

XXXXXXXX

Dean threw himself into the Impala.

X

For some bizarre quirk, he had found himself wide awake at dawn, his eyes having no intention of obeying the command to close and let him get back to sleep. A rapid glance at his brother who was spread out like some giant squid all over the bed, his face hidden behind the mass of girly hair that he obstinately refused to trim to a manly level, told him that Sam was having no problem sleeping; not tonight anyway.

Because Dean was a stubborn little Winchester, he gave the getting back to sleep thing one last try but this time stubborn was not going to win, so he sighed, dragged his feet to the bathroom, showered and went out to his Baby.

She always made him feel better, and if Sammy regularly dropped off to sleep like a dormouse as soon as he set foot in her, then there was no reason she couldn't work her magic on him too!

X

No such luck, Dean bitched to himself after trying to get comfortable on the well-worn seat; Sam and his Baby had a special intimate relationship as far as falling asleep was concerned and it didn't include him.

"I know when I'm beaten," he mumbled to himself as he revved up the engine. "Coffee and breakfast it is!"

His Sasquatch of a brother was usually the one to wake early and go out for food, so he reckoned it was fair enough that once in a blue moon he returned the favour.

Sam was always harping on about a healthy life style, so he parked a little way from the diner. It was early and he had nothing better to do anyway; might as well keep Sam happy by telling him how he had taken a bracing walk in the fresh morning air!

X

He passed by the various stores, casting a curious eye on the posters and ads attached to the shop fronts, stopping short as one in particular caught his eye. It was an invitation to students who had dropped out of College to re-apply and get back into Education. Dean felt a curious sensation come over him; a moment of sadness for what Sam had once wanted and dreamed of; Law school, helping people through the courtroom instead of through hunting.

Sam would have made a damn good lawyer and he knew he would have been so proud of his little brother, watching him haggling in a courtroom on behalf of some deserving client.

He went for the food but somehow his mood had darkened. Sam had never really had a chance at normal. He carried too much baggage; they both did, from angel vessels to demon blood to Lucifer. But maybe it wasn't too late, perhaps Sam could have normal now, now that Lucifer was back in the box and Sam had a wall holding back his memories of Hell.

He ordered coffee, plenty of comforting pie and pancakes for his little brother.

X

X

Sam turned worried eyes on him when he shouldered his way through the motel room door, hands occupied with the bags.

"Dean," he huffed. "I was just gonna call you. It's not often I wake up and not find you snoring obscenely in bed."

"I'm offended Dude! I don't snore, I just breathe heavily, is all!" Dean answered but there was no bite in his words. He had other things on his mind.

"Pancakes and latte for you princess and pie and black coffee for the manlier brother."

Sam didn't even waste a word answering him; his bitch-face conveyed all that was necessary!

X

Dean coughed, taking a minute to collect his thoughts. He didn't quite know how to bring up the subject so in traditional Dean-style he jumped right in. "Do you want to go back to College, Sam?"

Sam stopped in mid-sip and turned an inquisitive glance on him before answering confused.

"What did you just say, Dean?"

"I believe I made myself quite clear, Sammy. I asked if you wanted to go back to College."

Sam's mouth took on an upside down smile as he considered his brother's words.

"Why are you asking me this?"

Dean lowered his eyes." I just wondered, you know, if you ever thought about going back to Law school. You remember you once told me that you weren't going to live this life for ever."

Sam huffed. "Right! And just how long ago did I say that!"

"I know, I know." Dean answered, his hand raised as if to halt Sam's questioning. "It was a few years back, before shit really hit the fan, but now things are sorta quiet. You've got your soul back, your wall's in place, you could go back to Stanford. Start over. Become that big time lawyer with the picket fence and cute little wife; maybe give me some nieces and nephews."

X

Sam lowered his eyes, he could feel them traitorously misting up. He knew how much it cost Dean to say what he had just said for his brother wanted him by his side, watching his back. Dean loved him and in the name of that love his big brother had voluntarily sold his soul to bring him back to life at Cold Oak. Not long ago he had died again voluntarily, to go talk to Death and beg him to yank his tattered soul out of the Cage.

"I don't know what to say, man. Why would you think I wanted to go back to normal?" was all he managed to mumble.

"I dunno, I saw this ad when I was out, about getting back into Education and I thought maybe…" Dean shrugged.

X

Sam knew that his brother had the tendency to take the blame on his shoulders for all the crap that they had suffered in the past, so he was going to make this perfectly clear to him.

"Dean," he began softly. "I'm right where I want to be. The Sam who yearned for all that no longer exists. Those were the dreams of a teenager who hated the hunting life that Dad made us live, but my dream caused the death of an innocent girl like Jess. I killed her Dean even though it wasn't by my hand. She was destined to die from the first moment we met…..!"

"Sam…!"

"No, Dean! It's the truth. If I had never gone to Stanford she would never have burned on the ceiling. I can't change the past, Dean but I can still influence the future. I was never normal, **we** were never normal and so what can two freaks do except hang out together," Sam smiled.

"I'm where I want to be, with you!" he repeated in case his brother hadn't heard the first time! "I'll never leave you, Dean. We're a team. This is all I want, not Stanford, not the white picket fence, not normal. It's my choice to stay. I could go back to Stanford any time if I wanted to. Would you stop me if I decided to go?"

Dean shook his head. If Sam wanted to leave him and go for normal, he wouldn't stop him. He would be devastated but he would respect his little brother's choice.

X

"You're gonna have me on your ass for ever, Dude. Maybe it's you who'll end up wanting to kick it all the way to Stanford one day." Sam curled up his lips in a crooked smile.

Dean laughed, he felt good. "Yeah, having a broody Sasquatch of a brother to contend with every day is a big sacrifice on my part but I'll try and put up with you."

"You're lucky you've got me to watch your back, Dude. Nobody else could put up with your bossiness. They'd probably have put a bullet into you by this time, "Sam bitched back.

X

Suddenly he turned serious." So we're good then, Dean." Sam asked wanting his brother to be absolutely clear about what he was saying.

Dean nodded. Sam had been crystal clear. His brother stayed with him because that's what he wanted to do and that's all that Dean had needed to hear.

"Yeah. We're good, Sammy!"

X

XXXX The enD XXXX


End file.
